One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 62 My Love, Known to All

After finishing all the work, it was almost dusk. Shanks nestled with Moko on the swing chair, watching the lake turn amber in the afterglow. The swing chair's ropes were made from the vines of the Starflower Tree. The vines of the Starflower Tree are extremely tough and will not break easily unless a special harvesting method is used. It's just that Shanks is probably the only one who could be used as a swing rope.

Moko leaned against Shanks, watching the fallen petals drift towards the center of the lake with the ripples. The two of them nestled together quietly, needing no words. This embrace alone was enough to satisfy them, and their wandering hearts found a rare sense of peace.

"That kid seemed to like you this morning, Shanks."

His voice carried a teasing, nonchalant laugh, but the increasing pressure from the small hand in his hand made it seem anything but nonchalant. Shanks helplessly pecked Moko's head and then tightly gripped the mischievous little hand.

"uh-huh?"

Moko tilted her head back, raised an eyebrow, and looked at Shanks, pouting as if she was angry, but her eyes were full of mischief. Of course, Moko didn't doubt Shanks, but since Shanks had attracted attention, she still had to give him a symbolic punishment.

"It's a pity that I already have a wife I want to spend my life with. In this life and the next, no matter when, I only want her."

As Shanks spoke, a ring appeared out of nowhere on his hand, and he solemnly and forcefully slipped it onto Moko's ring finger. The ring was exquisitely crafted, with a jasmine-patterned band inlaid with tiny rubies arranged in a red line.

Moko was stunned for a moment, then her eyes lit up with surprise. Shanks lowered his head and kissed Moko's forehead, placing another similar men's ring in Moko's palm. His voice was joking, but there was no hint of teasing in it.

"I wonder if she would be willing to be my wife for every lifetime, so that I can stay by her side?"

"Well, this~" Moko smiled slightly as she gazed at Shanks' expectant and nervous eyes. "She said she's willing."

With a smile, Moko took Shanks' hand and put the ring on his finger. The touch of her fingertips was like gentle raindrops falling into her heart, creating ripples.

Her eyebrows and lips danced in the bright moonlight, and Mo Ke's eyes were full of smiles. Her crystal-clear skin was made even more exquisite by the moonlight, and the ring seemed to glow under the moonlight, dazzlingly beautiful.

Shanks' fingertips gradually grew hot, and his fingers easily slipped between his fingers to clasp Moko's hand. As their fingers intertwined, their heartbeats seemed to synchronize, and with each beat, their hearts drew closer together.

Moko slightly raised her beautiful eyes and met a pair of lustful eyes. Shanks held Moko even tighter, as if afraid that Moko would run away. Perhaps the atmosphere was just right, Shanks slowly lowered his head, his warm breath spraying on Moko's face. Moko could clearly see his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, exuding an inexplicable mature sexiness.

Even though he had already reached his limit, Shanks still restrained himself from going any further. He knew exactly what would happen after this kiss, and he didn't want to scare his little Jasmine.

When did she fall in love with Shanks? Perhaps it was when Shanks was the first person she thought of to rely on when her parents passed away; perhaps it was when her mother asked her if she wanted to be Shanks' bride; perhaps it was when Shanks solemnly promised her he would find her after their separation that year; perhaps it was even earlier, from the moment she opened her eyes, that she and Shanks had an absolutely unbreakable bond. They would never leave each other, and would always be by each other's side until their souls were annihilated and they would no longer be reincarnated.

"Shanks, I love you."

Moko took the initiative to wrap her arms around Shanks' neck and kissed his lips, which were still in a daze and hadn't even opened their mouths yet. Shanks was only stunned for a moment before taking the initiative, raising his hand to press against the back of Moko's head and deepening the kiss.

The kiss was gentle and restrained at first, but as Shanks' breathing became heavier, the kiss became deeper and deeper. When Moko was almost out of breath, Shanks reluctantly let go of her even a fraction of a second.

Moko's face flushed, and tiny beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose. Moko's lips parted slightly, revealing her tender and moist tongue. Her pure and charming appearance made Shanks unable to resist lowering his head and kissing Moko's lips again, gently circling her tongue and penetrating deeper into her lips and teeth.

A scalding breath enveloped Moke, and the unfamiliar tingling sensation almost made her collapse. A strong hand caught Moke's waist at the right moment, pressing her into the scalding embrace, giving her no chance to escape.

The kiss was so passionate and tender that even the moon shyly hid behind the thin clouds, leaving behind a gentle halo. Mo Ke slowly opened her hazy eyes and saw the spring snow dancing in the dark night sky, gentle and serene, falling onto the lake and stirring up ripples, blurring the figures of the two people pressed together.

As if noticing Moko's inattentiveness, Shanks punished her by lightly biting her lips, then reached out and covered her beautiful eyes, which were bathed in moonlight, once again quietly pulling her into a silent yet passionate surrender.

When Shanks removed his hand again, the two had already returned to the house at some point. All that could be heard was the crackling of burning matches and intermittent panting. Moko's hair was slightly disheveled, her eyes were red at the corners, and when she looked over with her hazy, watery eyes, she carried an unconsciously gentle and alluring charm. Her coquettish appearance, as if she had been bullied badly, was constantly eroding Shanks' remaining rationality, almost driving him crazy.

Her soft earlobes, all the way down to her neck, became Shanks's possession, allowing him to bully her at will. His hot hands rested on Moko's slender waist, and Shanks gradually became dissatisfied with just a taste. The desire burning in his eyes could no longer be suppressed. Shanks closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, all he could see was a frantic possessiveness. His soft fingertips traced Moko's lips, sending a shiver down his spine. Shanks' voice was husky, sexy, and seductive.

"Moko-chan, you're mine..."

The rest of her words were swallowed, leaving no room for refusal. In the utter silence of the snowy night, only the soft sound of falling snow and the blush-inducing, heart-pounding intimacy filled the room...

(The author is just passing by~ I'm not allowed to show anything below the neck, so please bear with it and use your imagination (o?3?′o))

So, men shouldn't starve themselves, or they'll really suffer. When Moko slowly woke up, she felt like her body was about to fall apart. Because of her physical training since childhood, plus her own healing ability, Moko rarely felt so tired that she was exhausted. But now Moko was really too tired to move. Moko knew that Shanks had good stamina when he was a child, but no one had ever said that stamina would grow with him.

The sheets were disheveled, clothes were scattered all over the floor, and a man's strong arm was lying across Moko's chest through the thin blanket, half of her muscular chest was exposed, and scars of all sizes extended along the lines of her muscles until they disappeared into the thin blanket. Underneath the thin blanket, ahhhhh, I can't think about it.

Moko touched her burning cheeks, struggling to look away from the deep and shallow scratches and bite marks, focusing instead on the scars left by knives and guns. Moko wanted to touch those scars, but her fingers curled up at the last moment. If she had been by Shanks' side back then, if she hadn't made a promise to meet Shanks, would Shanks have had to go through so much suffering and live a more carefree life?

Shanks once said he wanted to become a pirate as free as his father on the high seas. Was she holding Shanks back? Just before the light in Moko's eyes was about to dim, a large hand tightly grasped Moko's retreating hand. Shanks didn't say anything, but simply pulled Moko into his arms and held her tightly, showing her with his actions that this was the choice he had made and that he had never regretted it.

Shanks woke up when Moko made a move. He had intended to pretend to be asleep to see Moko's embarrassed expression, but he saw that the usually shy Moko had become afraid. He instantly realized that the scars on his body had frightened Moko. The death of the captain and his wife had caused Moko great psychological trauma, which could not be healed overnight. As a result, Moko was now afraid of loss and separation. All he could do was to show Moko through his actions that he was strong, that he would never disappear, that he was always there. As for freedom, the freedom with Moko by his side was what he wanted.

In a corner unseen by Moko, Shanks' eyes held a complex mix of emotions: bitterness, heartache, regret, and anger. When Moko looked up, a gentle smile had already dispelled all the gloom.

The two embraced quietly until Moko calmed down before they began to pack up and leave. Neither of them mentioned what had just happened, but that didn't mean they didn't care. Just like when Moko was sulking as a child, Shanks could always easily coax her even without saying a word. Many times, the two didn't need to say too many words to prove that they cared about each other. Sometimes, just a look, a hug, or a kiss was enough. This was their unique understanding and confidence.

Shanks! Look what you've done!

Moko pointed to the red marks on her neck that she couldn't hide, and glared angrily at Shanks. Seeing Shanks' guilty and unsteady gaze, Moko had no doubt that he hadn't actually planned to let her go out today. Moko was so angry that she twisted Shanks' waist hard.

Shanks was wincing in pain and kept begging for mercy. Looking at Shanks's stupid and idiotic appearance, Mo couldn't even get angry. What could she do about the man she had chosen? Hmph, she should just let him go hungry, otherwise it would be too much for her (?o?o).

Moko finally put on a high-necked, fitted knit sweater, her long hair falling to her waist, giving her a pure yet gentle look that was very charming.

It was still snowing lightly outside, the snowflakes fluttering like goose feathers, dancing gently in the cold wind. In just one night, the whole world was covered in a thick layer of pure white, as if gently wrapped in a layer of pure silk. For a moment, Mo Ke couldn't distinguish between snow and jasmine.

Shanks then took out a light gray fluffy cloak from the wardrobe and helped Moko put it on. The fluffy edges made Moko look even more petite. Shanks was satisfied only after he had wrapped Moko up tightly and then took her out.

The snow underfoot was as soft as cotton, crunching with every step. Feeling the soft snow beneath her feet, time seemed to slow down. As she walked, Moko stopped.

Moko reached out and caught the feather-light snowflakes, watching them slowly melt in her palm, a hint of joy flickering in her eyes.

It's not that there's no snow in Golbor Mountain; on the contrary, Golbor Mountain experiences long, continuous snowfalls in winter, with a thick layer of snow that's enough for people to roll around in. The three little ones in my family often have a competition to build a snowman, and they built a very large one in front of the yard.

The snow was beautiful, but Moko had too many things to think about at that time. Seeing the snow, she couldn't feel the same joy as she remembered. Or rather, after experiencing that early morning when the snow stopped, every snowfall she saw in the future might not move her as much as it did when she was a child.

"Shanks..."

"I'm here, Moko-chan."

"...The snow is so beautiful!"

Moko turned her head, her eyes shimmering with tears, reflecting tiny sparkles of light, a gentle, lingering glow. A breeze carrying sunlight ruffled Moko's loose hair, leaving behind white petals as a trace of her presence.

Shanks felt his heart skip a beat. The sea of ​​jasmine flowers in the snow was already captivating enough, but at this moment, Shanks' eyes could only hold Moko. His gaze would only ever linger on Moko, and his heart would only flutter for her.

The midday sun melted into the clouds, casting a gentle, warm glow. Snowflakes and falling petals drifted down to the two embracing figures, witnessing this simple, tender, and lingering kiss.

"Moko-chan, I love you, now and forever."

The day we first met, your smile captivated me. From that moment on, I knew that my heart could never hold anyone else. My love has never been a secret; everyone knows I love you.